Change-speed gear



' 1,635,526 July 12,1927. HI AUSTIN CHANGE SPEED GEAR Filed July 18. 1923 Patented 12,- 1927 UNITED A ES PATENT. OFFICE.

HERBERT AUSTIN, OF BROMSGROVE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO YA'U'STIN MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, OF NORTHFIELD, NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND. 4

CHANGE-SPEED GEAR.

Application filed July 18, 1923, Serial No. 652,244, and in Great Britain July is, 1922.

This invention relates to change speed gear used more especially in connection with motor road vehicles, and has for its object to improve the means' by which the selector forks are moved and by which the fork 01' forks whichis or are at the time inoperative is or are locked in .the neutral position.

In carrying out this invention I may employ a change speed lever which-is capable of being rocked about a universal joint and has the usual downward extension beyond such joint. I v

According to this invention the lower end of the said leveror other gear operating means connects with a point intermediate the ends of a transverse lever which at its ends is connected with the selector forks. The transverse lever is so arranged that it can be moved endwise that is to say in the direction of its length by a sideway movement of the gear operating lever or other vdevice and such movement has the-effect of causing one end of the transverse lever to engage with the casing of the gear or a part fixed in relation thereto when the lever may be rocked about the, point of engage merit, the other or free end of the lever operating one of the forks.- The gear op erating lever is preferably so arranged that it can only be moved sideways when the transverse lever is in .its-mid-position,'and sideway movement in the opposite direction causes theother end of the transverse lever to engage with the casing or .part fixed in relation thereto whereby the fork at the other end is released and can be moved. The forks are each permanently engaged with their respective endsof the lever, so that each fork becomes locked simply b the '49 engagement of the respective end 0 *the transverse lever with the casing or partfixed in relation thereto. I i

The engagement of the forks with the transverse lever may be by means of upward projections from the forks between which the lever passes. In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will describe a convenient the drawings herewith of which z- Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a portion ofa gear box provided with .three speeds and reverse and constructed according to this invention. I Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on moved practical application thereof by reference gear wheels.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the portionof the gearshown in Figure 1, the .top cover and dgear operating lever being rean t 5 Figure 4 is a view cbrresponding to Figure 3; but showing the transverse gear lever in its mid-position. L

In these drawings A is the gear operating lever fulcrumed to, turn in any direction about a ball joint a and having a downward extension'a provided with a ball (1 Ba is a transverse lever provided at its centre with a hole 6 Within which the ball d lies. The le- 7' ver B is provided at one end with two sets of curved faces 6 b and at the othere'nd-with two sets of curved faces?) 5 of which the curved faces I) and a 12 extend somewhat above the level of, the curved faces I)? and to the casing -E of the gea-r'and also to engage betweenthe lugs a o.- F is the change speed gate of the usual construction.

When the gear lever A is in the mid-position both longitudinally and transversely,

the transverse lever B is in the position indicated in Figure 4,'that is to say'both the surfaces b and '6 are engagedv with their respective notches d d so that' the lever B is locked at both' ends. Each end of the lever remains always in engagement with the respective selector fork so that both forks-are also looked. When it is desired to put in one speed- (or the reverse), the

operating lever is moved to the fullest extent in one. direction transversely. Th1s has theefiect of 'moving'the lever B'injthe direcj tion say of the arrow of'Figure 3 until its faces "6' enter between the sides of. the notchld in the plate D and also between the lugs c 0 of thefork C. The corresponding end of the lever then acts as the fulcrum and the corresponding. fork G remains locked. The faces I) are,however, out of engagementwith the notch d so that the 45 g operatlng device engages 1n a manner totion lengthwise it remains in engagement with both parts, and means whereby when of the arrow thereof causes the lever B to be rocked to the position indicated in Figure 3. In such position it will be seen that the faces I) are in engagement between the In s of the fork C so that the selector fork may be moved to the left, In order to move the selector fork C thelever Bis brought back to the mid-position, moved endwise to bring the faces 12 into the notch d and free the faces 6 from the notch d, when the lever may be moved in the other direction taking the fork C with it. W

Having fully described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In change speed gear, a gear operating device, a transverse lever, ata point intermediate the endsfofwhich the gear operating device engages in a manner to move the transverse lever lengthwise and laterally at will, a part at each side of the gear box into pivotal engagement with which the correspondin end of. the lever may be moved, the lever tIzen being adapted to be rocked by the gear operating device about such part as a.pivot, and means whereby the free end of the lever moves a selector device for changing the gear.

2. In change speed gear, a gear operating,

device, a transverse lever at a point. intermediate theends of which the gear operat-- ing devirx engages in a manner to move the transverse lever lengthwise and laterally at will, a notch at each side of the gear box into engagement with which the corresponding end of the lever may be moved the lever then being adapted to be rocked by the gear operating device about such notch, and i means whereby the free end of the lever ing device, a transverse lever moves a selector device for changing the gear. I

v 3. Ina change speed gear, a gear operat- V Y L ata point intermediate the ends of which the 'agear,

which a corresponding end of the lever -'may be moved, the lever then being adapted to be rocked by the; gear op- 7 crating device about'such part as a pivot,

the two parts being placed at such a distance apart that when the lever is in its mid-posithe lever has been moved out of engagement with one part, and into engagement 7 with the other, the free end of the lever may move a selector device for changing the will, a part'at each side of the gear box: into pivot-a1 engagement with which the corresponding end of the lever may be moved, the lever then being adapted to be rocked as a pivot, a selector device for changing the gear in respect of each end vof the transverse lever and connected thereto through the medium of lugs which embrace the sides of the lever.

5. In change speed gear, a gear operating device, a transverse lever at a point inter-' mediate the ends of which the gear operating lever engages in a manner to move the transverse lever lengthWiSeand laterally at will, a notch at each side of the gear box into pivotal engagement with which the corresponding end of thelever may be moved, curved faces on each end, of the lever adapted to enter the corresponding notch and a selector device in respect of each end for changing the gear and provided with lugs to come into engagement with the curved faces on the corresponding lever end. 6. In change speed gear, a gear operating device, a transverse lever at a point intermed ate tothe ends of which the gear operatmg device engages in a manner to move the transverse lever lengthwise and laterally at W112, a part at each-side of the gear box 1 to pivotal engagement with which the corresponding end of the lever may be moved and a selector device for changing the gear provlded with lugs {which engage with the lever at a point along the length thereof,

ment withthe said part, whereby the move'-' ment of the transverse lever in relation to one Jsuch part produces no substantial amount of movement 'of the selector device at such end, whereby such selector device remains-locked.

' by the gear operating device about such part I In witness "whereof -I have" hereunto I signed my name this 3rd day of July, 1923.

' f I Y HERBERT AUSTIN. 

